What is “Living History” ?

Many people have become familiar with the term “Re-enactment.”  It has even entered the dictionaries as “acting out a past event” and for most of the amateur societies, recreating historical battles, it is a reasonable description.

“Living History” can go a great deal further than that. I believe the best way to study our ancestors is to recreate their lives as fully as we can.

It is of course impossible to turn back the clock, we understand the world in ways that are different from our ancestors. I for one do not seek to discard humanities present achievements, but by approaching the everyday problems of our forebears with the same tools, skills and materials it is possible to deepen our understanding of where we have come from.

There are now many sites both in the UK and abroad that have recreated historical sites and buildings for research and public display. There are reconstructions of boats, ships, carts and chariots. Archaeologists have discovered many small details of past life and conservation organisations are constantly on the lookout for new uses and interpretations for their resources.

All these factors together make it possible to live, eat and sleep in environments just like those experienced by people of the past. The problems that absorb you in these situations are not “How do I kill my enemy?” but “How do I light my fire so that I can cook my food?”, “How do I keep my meat from going off without a fridge?”, “How do I stop my roof from leaking in a howling gale?” and “How do I make my bed comfortable enough to sleep on at night?” These are the kinds of day to day questions you have when you recreate life as it was one or two thousand years ago.

“Living History” is about discovering how our ancestors answered these questions.